Former NBA player Tim McCormick kicked
off CRA’s Rental Rally Tradeshow yesterday, delivering an entertaining and
motivating keynote address to seminar attendees. To a packed room, McCormick recounted numerous stories from his 10-year NBA career
– stories involving greats like Michael Jordan, Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, Charles
Barkley and more. He talked about injuries, surgeries, losses. And through all
the experiences and relationships, he learned what it takes to succeed, not
only in the professional basketball arena, but in life and business. According
to McCormick, people who master these four principles, hard work, perseverance (or what he calls the bounce-back
ability), brand excellence and CEO leadership (Confidence, Enthusiasm,
Opportunistic) can become the Michael Jordan of their industry.
The second session of the day drilled
down to the nuts and bolts of successfully running a rental center business.
Gary Stansberry of The Stansberry Firm focused on the key performance measures that rental owners need to track to
ensure they stay at the top of their game. The measures include revenues, payroll
as a percentage of revenue, EBITDA/cash flow and financial (dollar) utilization
of rental inventory. Rental center owners should know where they stand
revenue-wise at any given time. He stresses the importance of comparing revenue
reports (monthly, year-to-date, year-over-year) to identify trends and spot early
warning signs if trouble looms. It’s also important for members to keep tabs on
their payroll, as a percentage of revenue. If companies look consistently at these
measures, they’ll get the ebb and flow of their business. And, credibility increases dramatically
when owners can speak with knowledge, clarity and confidence about their
businesses.
Thanks to the Mid-Atlantic
Tent Renters Association (MATRA) for delivering these two informative and educational
sessions to Rental Rally attendees.
At noon, buses departed from the
South Point Hotel. Party and event industry participants enjoyed a gourmet
kitchen experience at Lupo, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant.
Equipment industry
participants toured the new Snorkel/Xtreme factory in Henderson. The fabricating site, which will span 23 acres when development
is completed next year, is impressive. It has room for 20 assembly lines, and 8,000 machines are anticipated to be built there this year.
Back at South Point after the tours,
Rental Rally attendees were treated to a cocktail party in the Exhibit Hall,
giving folks a sneak peek at what they’ll see today when the show floor
opens.
The 2017 tradeshow is off to a great start.